The Growth of a Cherry Blossom
by cleareyes25
Summary: He was back. Sakura didn't know what to think, what to feel. Things were much more different from when they were younger. They were different. It's time for Sakura to start her life again. sasusaku later.


He was back. Her brain just about left the building. She didn't know what to think, what to feel. Everything was so much more different than when they were young. Sakura fled to the hospital. It wasn't where he was. It wasn't where any of them would be. They would be in the Hokage's office.

She could imagine what was going on there. Naruto would be front and center, probably banging his hands on the desk and yelling at Tsunade to let the boy go. Tsunade would be furious, of course, and slam her hands on the desk effectively shattering it. Kakashi would be leaning against a wall reading his book. His body would be tense, though, and he probably won't turn a single page during the whole meeting. He would be there, glaring at the world, chains dangling from his form and anti-chakra seals decorating his skin.

Sakura's hands were steady as she sewed her patient up. She looked into the watery eyes of a girl. She was so young. Her mother was holding her other hand. Sakura looked down at the stitches that held together the skin on her finger. Sakura vaguely remembered the girl's name.

"All done! You did great, Satsuki! Just remember to not get them wet too much. If you want I can put a band-aid on to cover them up." Sakura looked back into the bright blue eyes. They had dried and a new gleam of awe was shining through. The girl shook her head, her light brown pig tails whipping back and forth.

"Wow! Wait 'till the guys see this! They'll definitely let me play with them now." The little girl jumped to her feet and turned to her mom, holding up her injured finger. The mother shook her head with an exasperated smile. She looked to Sakura.

"Thank you, Sakura-san. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw that bloody kunai laying near her. She wants to be like her brothers so badly. She's still too young, though." Sakura grinned in amusement and followed them out of the room.

"It was nothing. I'm just glad that it wasn't worse. Come see me in about three weeks and I'll make sure it's healing properly. Let me know if anything happens, like if they come out, or if you have any questions." Sakura watched the duo leave. The little girl was skipping alongside the older woman. Their hands were intertwined and swinging back and forth.

_I wouldn't mind that. _Sakura sighed. A relationship where you grew together. Someone you were able to help create instead of destroy. A companion that would look up at you as if you had all the answers. Someone to be there when you go home. Sakura scoffed. She was a top med-nin. Plus, she was only seventeen! She had a long time to wait until she could start thinking about the future.

Sakura turned around and came face to face with an irritated Shizune. The woman tapped her foot and glared at her. Shizune had become like an older sister to Sakura. The woman had helped mentor her when Tsunade was too immersed in paperwork.

"You know he's here. You should be there with them!" Sakura's expression turned dark.

"They didn't need me there before. This is menial compared to what they've already done. I think they can handle it by themselves." Shizune gave a huff of exasperation.

"They need you. Believe me. Without you, what would be the point? It's an empty victory without you there." Sakura sped up her pace as she approached her next appointment. Before she could reach for the doorknob, however, Shizune threw her body in front of the doorway.

"Leave. You don't have to go to them but I am not going to let you throw yourself into your work to escape your problems. I know you too well." Shizune gently took the clipboard from Sakura's slackened hands. The girl gave a sigh and a slight nod.

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Konoha hadn't changed in her time spent at the hospital. Apparently, Sasuke's arrival was kept in secret. Sakura feared the day the public found out about his arrival.

Civilians bustled through the streets going about their daily lives. Sakura heard squeals and swerved just in time as a group of children ran by. Sakura recognized a pair a of pigtails and laughed. She admired the child's ability to get over pain so fast. Sakura continued walking until she arrived at Training Ground 7.

Sakura blinked, startled. She wasn't even paying attention to where she was going. A lump formed in her throat. She faintly heard the cries of her teammates echoing in the back of her mind, "Rasengan!" "Chidori!". Sakura walked into the center of the field. A faint breeze blew her shoulder-length hair into her face. A few strands stuck to her face and Sakura reached up to brush them away. Her fingertips touched cool, wet skin and she pulled her hand away. The tears stopped as she clenched her fists.

Sakura dropped into a defensive stance. Around her, shadowy, imaginary figures closed in. She turned to one on her right and jumped up . Her knee connected with its chin and she flipped through its smoky disappearance. She pivoted on the foot she landed on first and brought her other leg up kicking through the side of another assailant.

Sakura's breath was coming in shallow pants after two hours of training. Her veins and mind buzzed with adrenaline. Her imaginary enemies were coming in from all sides. She crouched down, gathering chakra into her legs, and jumped straight up. Sakura twisted her body so that she was facing down. For a second, she was suspended in midair. No strings attached, all was calm as she focused in on a point in the ground. She drew back her arm, power surging through it. And then, contact.

The ground shattered. The shadow combatants disappeared like smoke, fading from existence. The earth jutted upwards creating ravines and hills. Sakura landed lightly in the middle of the wreckage. A solid piece of ground riddled with cracks from her initial contact. Sakura took in a deep breath and settled her racing heart and mind.

She turned around and noticed a pair of pearly eyes observing her. She wasn't shocked that she hadn't noticed the woman earlier even if she hadn't been distracted. Hinata had definitely gotten stronger since their first chuunin exam and with the war now under her belt she had become great. Sakura nodded to her and then proceeded to throw kunais at a target hanging on a tree

"Sakura-chan, why weren't you at the sentencing?" Sakura looked up at in shock.

"How did you-?" Hinata blushed and looked away, her fingers twirling around each other from habit.

"Naruto-kun was ranting about it at Ichiraku's" Sakura smirked at the shy girl before growing solemn. "You can still go; they just finished the break and will be concluding it now." Sakura sighed and shook her head.

"I can't." She looked into the confused eyes of her friend. "I just.. can't" She turned away and started walking home.

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As she passed the Hokage Tower, Sakura tensed. She glanced up at the window that she knew led to the Hokage's office. She wondered if they were still in there and then banished the thought. She ducked her head until she passed it, afraid that if her teammates were still there they would see her. She released a breath she didn't know she was holding as she was immersed in the street bustling with people moving from stall to stall, baskets full of fruit, fish, and other items.

She dragged her feet up the stairs to her apartment. The sun was down by the time she had reached her neighborhood and she fumbled with her keys, trying to find the right one. She didn't notice the footsteps coming up the stairwell over the jingling.

"Dammit why do I have so many keys?"

"Oi, Sakura-chan!" Sakura yelped and dropped her keys. She grumbled as she bent over to pick them up.

"Naruto, what are you doing here?!" She froze as she turned around and saw spiky black hair heading across the hallway. Her eyes slid over to meet worried blue ones. Naruto laughed nervously and brought a hand to rub the back of his head.

"Ne, teme and I are going to be living together just next door." He jabbed a thumb behind him. "My apartment's too small for both of us so… we're neighbors!" He smiled and threw his hands up in the air. Sakura felt despair well up inside her, but she put on a smile and gave him a meek "Yay".

"Dobe, give me the keys." The duo turned to the man who was standing by his doorway. His eyes were trained on Naruto's and, if Sakura didn't know better, she would have thought she didn't exist.

"Teme, come say 'hi' to Sakura-chan." He just kept staring at Naruto, waiting for the keys.

"I have to get some sleep, I'll see you later Naruto. Good night!" She glanced at the dark man across the hallway briefly before closing her door in Naruto's disappointed face. She quickly walked to her bedroom and closed that door as well. She pressed her back against it and slowly slid to the floor.


End file.
